Egg Harbor City Man Charged With Murdering His Girlfriend and Her 7-Year-Old Son

Published reports say a man from Egg Harbor City has been arrested and charged with killing his girlfriend and her 7-year-old son Wednesday morning.

Firefighters responded to a home on the 200 block of Washington Avenue in Egg Harbor City around 8:00 Wednesday morning and found the bodies of 38-year-old Michelle Pabst and her 7-year-old son, Gavin, in the burning home. A man, now identified as 38-year-old Joseph F. Palmer III, survived the fire and was taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries.

A report in The Press of Atlantic City says Palmer has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder and arson in the deaths of the mother and her son. An autopsy performed Thursday indicated Michelle Pabst "died of multiple sharp and blunt-force injuries" and her young son was stabbed multiple times.

The Press of Atlantic City story indicates Palmer is in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on $2 million bail.